June 08, 2007

Health Benefits of Coconut Milk

Indeed, it's
high in saturated fat, but a number of independent studies have shown that its
saturated fat is a good one. It isn't hydrogenated (not a trans fatty acid) and
the chief fatty acid, lauric acid, is easily metabolized, which means it
doesn't hang ar
ound to become bad cholesterol. A fatty acid that has been found
to be antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial, lauric acid is also abundant in
mother's milk. Most importantly, coconut milk is the backbone of many cuisines
around the world. For generations, people have led healthy lives with foods
enriched by coconut milk. There's no reason why you can't either, so long as
it's as part of a balanced diet. Go ahead and live a little!

In the Vietnamese repertoire, coconut milk is associated
with southern cooking because that's where coconut palms flourish; the
geography and weather of the central and northern regions are not great for
coconuts. Coconut milk is indispensable for southern Viet treats like
Indian-style curries, sweet soup snacks called che, and banh xeo sizzling
crepes.

In Vietnam,
coconut milk is mostly freshly made. (There are grocery stores opening up and so there's bound to be canned coconut milk too!) To prepare fresh coconut milk, brown, mature (hairy!) coconuts
are used -- not the green, young coconuts whose clear liquid is sipped through
a straw for a refreshing drink. The coconut is cracked open, drained of its
water (which is fine to drink as long as it hasn't fermented), and then the
white meat is grated using a sharp serrated metal blade or a wood stool that
has the blade attached to it. The grated meat is steeped in hot water (4:3
ratio of coconut meat to water works well) and squeezed through cloth to
extract the creamy milk. The first extraction is the best, but cooks may
resteep the flesh for a lesser quality, thin milk. Freshly prepared coconut
milk has a wonderful subtle sweetness. Making it in the US
and elsewhere where coconuts don't grow well can be hard because good coconut
are difficult to find. In general, choose among the heavy small ones because
they are likely to have more flesh and less water. Shake the coconut to make
sure there sloshing water inside, or else the coconut is spoiled.

I don't make fresh coconut milk often and mainly rely on
canned coconut milk, which is excellent. In particular, I recommend Chao Koh or
Mae Ploy brands. Available at most Asian markets, both are creamy and rich. Mae
Ploy is actually creamier. When you've got extra coconut milk, freeze it for
another day. NEVER use insipid light coconut milk. And avoid coconut milk that
contains weird emulsifiers that keep it smooth. Read labels!